TOUCH-SENSITIVE DEVICE FOR SCROLLING A DOCUMENT ON A DISPLAY

• US 20100207908A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Hinckley, Kenneth P., McLoone, Hugh E., Cauthorn, James H., Muss, Timothy Michael, Kerestegian, Stiven
• Application Number:
  US12/773,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A touch-sensitive device for use as an electronic input device for controlling by scrolling the visible portion of a document or image relative to a display. The device can include various improved configurations such as physically separate opposed input surfaces at opposite longitudinal ends and/or lateral sides. The end regions of a touch sensitive surface may be rounded and/or tapered to provide relative positional feedback to the user. Tactile positional feedback can also include surface texture changes on the scrolling area and/or changes in the surface of the frame in the region immediately adjacent the scrolling area. The touch sensitive areas may be provided within a split alphanumeric section of an ergonomic keyboard to enable scrolling without the user having to remove his or her hands from the alphanumeric section.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A touch-sensitive device for manipulating a document on a display screen, said device comprising:

a central area extending along a first axis; and

first and second end areas positioned along the first axis on opposed sides of the central area, said first and second end areas each for performing a respective first and second function for manipulating the document.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the first and second end areas are physically separate and spaced from the central area.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the central area has a width in a direction perpendicular to the first axis and wherein the first and second end areas have a width that differs from the width of the central area.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein said device is part of a keyboard including an alphanumeric section, said areas being disposed within the alphanumeric section.

25. The device of claim 21 wherein the first and second end areas are rounded.

26. The device of claim 21, further comprising a housing with first, second and third openings that frame the central area, and the first and second end areas respectively.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the housing is part of a keyboard.

38. The device of claim 21, wherein the first axis is a longitudinal axis.

39. The device of claim 21, wherein the first and second end areas each have a distal end, and tactile feedback means located between the distal ends for providing tactile feedback for assisting in the location of the first and second end areas.

40. The device of claim 21, wherein the tactile feedback means includes discrete surface texture changes.

28. A touch-sensitive device for manipulating a document on a display screen, said device comprising:

a central area extending along a first axis; and

first and second areas positioned along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis on opposed sides of the central area, said first and second areas each for performing a respective first and second function for manipulating the document.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the first and second areas are physically separate and spaced from the central area.

30. The device of claim 28 wherein the central area has a width in a direction perpendicular to the first axis and wherein the first and second areas have a width in a direction perpendicular to the second axis that differs from the width of the central area.

31. The device of claim 28 wherein said device is part of a keyboard including an alphanumeric section, said areas being disposed within the alphanumeric section.

32. The device of claim 28 wherein the first and second areas are rounded.

33. The device of claim 28, further comprising a housing with first, second and third openings that frame the central area, and the first and second areas respectively.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the housing is part of a keyboard.

35. The device of claim 28, wherein the first axis is a longitudinal axis.

36. The device of claim 28, wherein the first and second areas each have a distal end, and tactile feedback means located between the distal ends for providing tactile feedback for assisting in the location of the first and second areas.

37. The device of claim 28, wherein the tactile feedback means includes discrete surface texture changes on the scrolling area.